Dierama jucundum

[Robert G]

Thanks Helen! I will use your method since you have had success. Some Dierama seeds have just arrived and there is more on the way. I tried to get hardier ones, but will also experiment with some. Are you putting them outside? I suspect we are in a similiar climate.

[Ezeiza]

Hi:

     You MUST wait until the spring! These plants are summer growers, this meaning they are dormant in winter and "wake up" in spring. Seed must be sown at the same time the adult plants wake up naturally.

Alberto

[maggiepie]

Robert, mine are indoors under lights, I couldn't find any information about them when I first received them so started them off and hoped for the best.

Alberto, I have my seedlings under lights, hopefully that will trick them into believing it is ok for them to grow.
If I can keep them growing until it is warm enough outdoors do you think they will be ok?
Not much else I can do at this stage.

[Ezeiza]

Dear Maggie:

                  That will be perfect. They must be protected from late frosts but will enjoy outdoors as the weather turns warmer. Move them gradually to full sun.

Best wishes

[Robert G]

Helen, I know this thread is about the seed, but let me know if and when you are risking the adults outside. I will be testing (sacrificing) a few to the climate.

[maggiepie]

Alberto, I will watch them like a hawk, one good thing about retirement is you have lots of time to spend with plants.
When I have a sunny day I move all my seedlings into the sunroom which warms up to around 22C, so they spend 5-6 hours in sunlight, then back to the lights.


Robert, as soon as it warms up I move all my trays of seedlings into the sun for the morning, it can be very time consuming but they seem to like it.
I also have a small greenhouse I will be able to move them to for a few months.
What zone are you in?
I was thinking of leaving mine in pots, are you going to put yours in the ground? From what I can gather they are hardy to zone7/8 up?

 

[Robert G]

Helen, I am in zone 4/5 and I have seen other species in the genus given zone 6. I will probaly experiment with leaving a few out, but protected. The others I will keep in pots. My method for plants that aren't hardy here is much the same as yours. I do like to try though.

[maggiepie]

Robert, I would be very interested to hear what other types of less hardy plants you have succeeded in growing.

[Robert G]

Helen, I have just started gotten started at trying to grow things that shouldn't here. Mainly plants that are one zone past me. Some species of Arisaema for example. South African plants are getting my interest though. The less hardy Delosperma and some other succulents are working for me. Now though I have turned my eye to some of the hardier bulbous plants from South Africa. SenacaHill perennials has a nice collection of them. All are at least one or two zones above me. It is not very likely I will succeed, but some will be kept in pots and kept safe for the winter. I would like to know how your Dierama plants do.

[Ezeiza]

Robert and Helen:

                         There are very many East African mountain species that you could grow with the simple precaution of lifting them and storing them in boxes wih dry peat, wood shavngs, etc. for the winter. When spring arrives and frosts are over you plant them (or pot them) to make their natural growth. This is easier than storing lots of pots.

[maggiepie]

Robert, I am pretty sure a lot of the seeds I have germinating at the moment will not be hardy here but like you I am going to try.
I am particularly interested in Erodiums and hardy geraniums and hope to get quite a few varieties of erodium seeds in the next few weeks.

Alberto, thanks for the suggestion.
I am having a real learning curve with gardening in a cold climate after spending most of my gardening life in Australia.
One thing there is no shortage of in Canada is peat.
What would be the coldest temps you can store bulbs?
I have an unheated basement that fluctuates between 6-11C in winter, would that be too warm?

[Ezeiza]

That would be very good. Lower temperatures would kill the flower buds inside the mature bulbs or impede their formation.

[maggiepie]

Thanks Alberto, you have given me lots of ideas.

[maggiepie]

These are my Dierama Jucundum seedlings, I am wondering if I am supposed to cut the tops off to thicken them up or just leave them alone
Any advice would be appreciated.

[Paddy Tobin]

Helen,

Don't cut off the tops. These are feeding the tubers and cutting them off will leave the tubers undernourished and will probably lead to death.

Having said that, I have some large clumps in the garden and I can at times resent the slow job of clearing out the dead foliage. To speed up this process last year I took the hedge cutter and simply cut the clumps to the ground. Some of the clumps came back a bit weaker but that didn't bother me as it thinned them out a bit. They can become a weed particularly if growing in a gravel area which seems to suit the seeds perfectly.

I mainly grow D. pulcherrimum in a variety of shades from white through various pinks to purple. D. montanum does well here also.

This spring I thinned out some of the clumps and gave away several sackfuls of plants. They bulk up surprisingly quickly.

Paddy